Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Coming Home By Greg Ruth Feiwel and Friends, 2014. Picture Book A boy anxiously awaiting the arrival of a loved one at an airport witnesses the tender reunions of others and wishes that each reunion he sees was his own. In this nearly wordless picture book, Greg Ruth does an excellent job of depicting the emotions of the boy and those waiting at the airport for friends and loved ones returning home from deployment, showcasing the author-illustrator’s belief that “no solider goes to war alone—he or she always brings along their family and friends with them." Although the book focuses on reunions of soldiers with their families, it can be used to explain the emotions of a reunion with anyone who has been way for a while, not just soldiers.

With Books and Bricks: How Booker T. Washington Built a School By Suzanne Slade Illustrated by Nicole Tadgell Albert Whitman & Company, 2014. Biography. Since he was a young child, Booker had been fascinated by books. With the end of slavery, nine-year-old Booker decided to teach himself to read. While working in the mines, he heard about a school for black students 500 miles away in Virginia and journeyed to the school to continue his education. Realizing the importance of sharing his love of learning with others, he moved to Tuskegee, Alabama for a teaching position. Upon arriving, he found that his eager students needed a school building where they could learn and set about to give them just that. This picture book covers Booker T. Washington’s struggle to build, along with his students, a one room school that eventually became a sprawling campus. A great introduction for children to a man who loved learning and personified determination as he refused to let anythi

Did You Know That I Love You? by Christa Pierce Harper Collins, 2015. Picture Book For children, Valentine's Day is a time to give and receive expressions of love from family and friends.  This new book is all about expressing love. Pierce's simple rhyming text explains different ways people can show affection.  "Did I show it in my kisses?/Could you feel it in my hugs?" The poem is illustrated with very simple, digitally drawn depictions of a fox and a bird that are friends.  The child friendly illustrations support the warm feeling of affirmation in the text.  This is a great Valentine pick for the youngest book lovers.

  On January 29 th librarians from Provo City Library joined with teachers and educators from Provo City School District to hold a Mock Caldecott jury in anticipation of the official announcement coming on February 2 nd of the 2015 winner of the Caldecott Medal. The Provo committee reviewed 64 picture books published in the last year and voted on their choice for most outstanding illustrations.  The winner of the Provo Library Mock Caldecott was Draw! by Ra ú l Col ó n. Some other close favorites were: Gravity by Jason Chin Flashlight by Lizi Boyd Extraordinary Jane by Hannah Harrison Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 By Christopher Paul Curtis The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963. The London Eye Mystery By Sibhan Dowd When Ted and Kat's cousin Salim disappears from the London Eye ferris wheel, the two siblings must work together--Ted with his brain that is "wired differently" and impatient Kat--to try to solve the mystery of what happened to Salim. Out of My Mind By Sharon M. Draper Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time. Nory Ryan’s Song By Patricia Reilly Giff When a terrible blight attacks Ireland's potato crop in 1845, twelve-year-old Nory Ryan's courage and ingenuity help her family and neighbors survive. Small as

  Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do By Robin Page Illustrated by Steve Jenkins Houghton Mifflin Harcort, 2014. Nonfiction Picture Book. Some animals look pretty strange.  Have you ever wondered why?  In this informational picture book the author asks 25 animals why they look the way they do, and the animals give their answers.  The book is full of interesting, bite-sized facts.  Did you know that a dearleaf nosed bat uses his nose to help him navigate while he is flying at night?  The book is illustrated with Jenkins' amazingly realistic cut-paper art.  This is a great STEM title for lower or upper grade school children.

Telephone by Mac Barnett illustrated by Jen Corace Chronicle Books, 2014. Picture Book Have you ever played the game "telephone" where one person whispers to the next, and that person passes on the message to the next?  Somehow by the end of the line, the message has gotten all mixed up. That is what happens in this amusing tale of avian miscommunication.  Mother Pigeon wants her son, Peter, to come home for dinner.  As one bird passes the message to another along the power line, the message morphs to include airplanes, rock stars, crocodiles and much more.  It is insightful that each bird changes the message to match his own interests. Will Peter ever get his mother's real message? Corace's sprightly watercolor illustrations add color, personality, and humor to the bird brained characters.  This is a fun book that could lead to some interesting parent/child discussion about why you can't always believe what you hear.

The Children’s Book of Movies: Explore the Magical, Behind-the-Scenes World of the Movies Edited by Ann Baggaley DK Publishing, 2014. Nonfiction DK has done an excellent job of introducing the subject of film to children, from the history of the craft to what happens behind the camera. It explains the different genres—comedy, anime, action, etc.—and then explores a prominent film from that genre; for example, The Empire Strikes Back is explored under the Science Fiction section. What makes this book stand out, besides the many photographs which DK is known for, is that it examines films from around the world and different time periods. Highly recommended for any film enthusiast or to anyone who enjoys going to the movies.

  100 Things That Make Me Happy by Amy Schwartz Abrams Appleseed, 2014. Picture Book This delightful rhyming book simply lists 100 things to be happy about. "Grocery Carts/ Frosted Hearts/ Grandma's Lap/ A Gingersnap."  The 100 things are common place, and varied. "Chocolate  Chips, Camping Trips/ Gold Fish/ Birthday Wish".  Ms. Schwart ends the book with the idea that the best thing of all is time with friends.The happy things are each illustrated with a cartoon pictures showing a child enjoying themselves with the listed item.  The text is artistically typeset using a variety of fonts and colors. Schwartz avoids sensory overload by leaving plenty of white space on each page. This child friendly book affirms that there is always good to be found.

Eat Your Science Homework Ann McCallum Illustrated by Leeza Hernandez Charlesbridge Publishing, 2014. 47 pages. Are you looking for a new way of exploring scientific concepts? How about a tasty way? In this book, you can do projects such as "Invisible Ink Snack Pockets", "Sedimentary Pizza Lasagna", and "Black Hole Swallow-Ups". Each project includes an engaging introduction and follow-up. The pictures are fun and silly at times, suggesting that the projects can be too. Great for second graders and up (with adult assistance, of course).

Quest Aaron Becker Candlewick Press, 2014. Picture book. From the author-illustrator that brought us the Caldecott Honor Journey comes another breathtaking wordless masterpiece. The quest begins when two friends at a city park encounter a king, who comes unexpectedly out of a door underneath a bridge. The king quickly hands the friends a map before he is dragged back into the door by medieval looking guards. The friends use their chalk to draw keys to enter the door. Using the map as their guide, they collect more chalk by drawing solutions to the challenges they encounter and eventually save the king. This book beautifully portrays the power of combining problem solving and creativity. I expect this to be a Caldecott contender. 

  The Book of Secrets (Mister Max Book 2) by Cynthia Voigt Alfred Knopf, 2014. Fiction. 355 p. Max Starling is a turn-of-the-century, twelve-year-old who has been forced to support himself as a "solutioneer" (think detective) because of his parents' sudden disappearance in book 1 of the "Mister Max" series, The Book of Lost Things . In this second adventure, Max must assume a variety of disguises and roles to figure out who has been vandalizing local small businesses.  He must also use all his finesse to discover the identity of a mystery girl, who dresses like a servant, but carries herself like a fine lady.  All the time, he and his grandmother puzzle over odd clues that suggest Max's missing parents might be in real trouble. Voigt has a keen insight into human nature and the characters of Max, his grandmother, and their closest friends, Ari and Pia are all richly drawn. More contemplative than action packed, this is a mystery series for children who

Friends for Freedom: The Story of Susan B. Anthony & Frederick Douglass Suzanne Slade Illustrated by Nicole Tadgell Charlesbridge Publishing, 2014. 40 pages. Did you know that Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass were longtime friends? Slade tells how they met and remained strong friends despite many hardships and social disapproval. Tadgell's watercolor illustrations do well in portraying their rough and meaningful experiences. This is a great introduction to these two outstanding people and the changes they helped make. Great for second graders and older.

  Ling and Ting: Twice as Silly by Grace Lin Little, Brown and Co. 2014, Early Reader Ting and Ling are twins, but they are not exactly the same. In this, their third adventure, they are feeling a little silly.  Ting tries to plant a cupcake tree, Ling decides to paint all her toys red, Ling swings higher than a tree, and both twins try to read each others' minds.  Whatever they do they do it together, and they always have fun.  The Ting and Ling books are written at a beginner level, with short words and simple sentence structure.  Even though the language is simple, Lin manages to make each mini-story in the book end with a clever punch line.  The humor is well suited to the audience, and new readers will be delighted to be able to figure out the jokes themselves.

  The Bear's Sea Escape by Benjamin Chaud Chronicle Books, 2014 (U.S. Edition), Picture Book Here is a new look-and-find book originally printed in France.  It is winter and Papa Bear and his cub are looking for a warm place to sleep for the winter.  After searching the city, they snuggle up in a Christmas display of stuffed animals.  Soon, however, a child chooses the cub, thinking he is a toy.  Papa bear wakes up just at the cub is taken away by his new owner.  Papa bear follows his cub to the train station, the coast, and onto a cruise ship.  The boat takes them to a tropical island where Papa finally finds his cub, and they both find a warm place to sleep.  In a "Where's Waldo" style, each two page spread shows a scene full of little figures going about their lives.  It is not at all simple to find the little bear and Papa bear in the crowd. As readers search, they discover that each page is full of interesting human drama and activity. The illustrations are

  Brother Hugo and the Bear By Katy Beebe Illustrated by S. D. Schindler Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2014. Picture Book A monk, Brother Hugo, is sad to report to the Abbot that a bear has eaten the monastery's copy of the letters of St Augustine. The abbot insists that, for his penance, Brother Hugo must borrow a copy of the book from another monastery, and make a new copy of it for his monastery's library.  It is a big project to make a new manuscript copy of a book but Brother Hugo has help from his brother monks.  At last the copy is finished, but Brother Hugo is worried. The bear has now acquired a taste for books, so how will Brother Hugo safely return the copy he borrowed?  This is a charming historical fiction picture book inspired by an actual incident.  It is written by a professor of medieval history and contains interesting and accurate facts about how medieval manuscripts were made. The factual information, however,  does not overpower the engaging and

I Spy Fly Guy By Tedd Arnold While playing hide-and-seek with Buzz, Fly Guy is taken away by a garbage man. Diego’s Baby Polar Bear Rescue By Lara Bergen Diego helps two hungry baby polar bears to get back to their mother. Diego Saves a Butterfly By Lara Bergen Diego rescues a butterfly from the cave she hid in when Baby Jaguar scared her. Butterflies and Moths By Nic Bishop A close-up look at moths and butterflies transforming from wriggly caterpillars into beautiful winged insects. Frogs By Nic Bishop Nic Bishop's photographs show all different kinds of frogs, big ones, very tiny ones, frogs with beautiful colors of skin, and one frog you can see inside of. The Butterfly House By Eve Bunting With the help of her grandfather, a little girl makes a house for a larva and watches it develop before setting it free, and every summer after that butterflies come to visit her. Outdoor Surprises By Eve Buntings A beginning reader book containing three stories fe

Henny by Elizabeth Rose Stanton Simon and Schuster, 2014. Picture Book Henny the chicken was born with arms instead of wings.  Her arms make her feel different and she struggles to fit in.  Then one day she learns that arms and hands can be useful.  All of a sudden a world of possibilities opens up to her.  The pencil and watercolor illustrations are simple and endearing.  Ms Stanton is able to make Henny's simple face very expressive.  The text is brief, but Stanton communicates a lot with very few words. This is a great story about embracing those things that make us unique and is a promising debut for a new picture book author.

Bad Bye, Good Bye Deborah Underwood Illustrated by Jonathan Bean Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, 2014. Picture book. Moving is tough. What should be a "good bye" feels like a "bad bye" to the family in this book. Their move starts off gloomy and despairing, saying farewell to friends and experiencing the uncomfortable car ride. As they go, their move progresses into positive experiences such as fireflies at their new home and making new friends. At the end, they feel like it has become a "good bye". The trials and details of moving away are brilliantly shown through Underwood's minimal verse and Bean's expressive ink and Prismacolor tone. This is a great book to read together during a move or any major change. I wouldn't be surprised if this is in the running for the 2015 Caldecott Award because the illustrations portray the nuances and emotions of moving meaningfully.

This Orq. (He Cave Boy.) by David Elliott Boyds Mills Press, 2014 Picture book Orq the cave boy loves his woolly mammoth pet, Woma. But Mother is not a fan. “Woma shed. Woma smell. Woma not house-trained.” Orq devises a plan to teach Woma amazing tricks so Mother will be impressed and let him stay in the cave, but the plan backfires with comedic results. However, when a saber-tooth tiger decides he wants Orq for dinner, Woma gets his chance to play the hero. A sweet prehistoric friendship tale with humorous illustrations and fun “caveman speech.”

Animal Structure and Classification Building Blocks of Science By Joseph Midthun Illustrated by Samuel Hiti World Book, 2014. Nonfiction, 32 p. This is one of an interesting new set of nonfiction books by World Book.  The text reads like a science book, but it is illustrated as a graphic novel.  This volume contains a thorough discussion of animal classification. The authors do not shy away from using correct scientific terminology, but the illustrations and text make clear any unfamiliar terms.  By the time the reader gets to the end of the book they will have a general understanding the levels of taxonomy and that animals are classified by what physical traits they have in common. The comic-like illustrations make this a good choice for reluctant readers.

A Letter for Leo by Sergio Ruzzier Clarion Books, 2014. Picture Book Leo enjoys his life as a mailman for a small town. However, he wishes someone would send him mail. One day he hears a loud "Cheep" come from the mailbox. He discovers a young bird who appears to be separated from his family. Leo immediately takes care of him. "Cheep" and Leo grow close and do many fun activities together. Time passes and Cheep is ready to go off on his own. After a heavyhearted goodbye, Leo returns to normal life. It's not long until Leo is ecstatic to receive a letter from Cheep. The sweet and slightly whimsical illustrations match the tone of the story. While the conflict is introduced as Leo's desire to receive a letter, Ruzzier doesn't focus on this as much as developing the endearing relationship between Leo and Cheep. Ruzzier successfully portrays the joy in making a new friend, the sorrow in a friend moving, and the joy in long distance communication. 

  A Possum's Tail by Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow Abrams, 2014. Picture Book Samuel Drew is off to the zoo with his wooden dog in tow.  He wants to see the opossums and once he sees them, he starts for home.  Little does he know that five opossum babies have latched onto the tail of his wooden dog and are following him.  Once Samuel arrives home and makes the happy discovery that his favorite zoo animals have come with him, they all have a picnic together.  But the opossums don't stay long.  They need to get back to their enclosure, and they find an amazing way to travel there. This is a charming picture book first published in England. It is written in well crafted verse, and illustrated with understated watercolor and pencil cartoons that have a very British feel.

  Pirate, Viking, & Scientist by Jared Chapman Little, Brown & Co, 2014 Picture book Scientist has a problem. He is friends with both Pirate and Viking, but they are not friends with each other, not even on Scientist’s birthday. Birthday cake ends up smashed in each other’s faces and party games lead to sabotage. Determined to find a solution, Scientist conducts experiments to bring these two ruffians together. The story is fun, silly, and over-the-top, and the illustrations likewise are full of comic book-like pows and bangs and exaggerated cartoony brawling that will have kids giggling. With only a sentence or two on each page, the story flows quickly and is very accessible to young children, but still manages to introduce the basics of the scientific method and include some fun vocabulary words.

  Call Me Tree/Llámame arbol by Maya Christine Gonzalez translated by Dana Goldberg Children's Book Press, 2014. Picture Book Ms Gonzalez is a four time Belpré honor winner.   Her newest book is a beautifully illustrated bilingual poem about trees. "I begin/Within/The deep/dark/earth...A seed/A tree/ Free to be free." Gonzalez illustrates the book with bright, full page, stylized depictions of trees and children, growing together. The text is printed on each page in English and Spanish and the poem works very well in both languages. Sra González ha ganado el premio de honor Belpré cuatro veces. Su libro más reciente es un poema bilingüe bellamente ilustrado sobre los árboles. "Nazco/ Dentro /De la tierra / profunda /y oscura ... Una semilla / Un árbol / Libre para ser libre." Gonzalez ilustra el libro con dibujos brillantes y estilizados en cada página, representando árboles y niños creciendo juntos. Cada página tiene el texto impreso en Inglés